Ski bow press



March 30., 1965 s. THOMAS 3,175,838

SKI BOW PRESS Filed May 25, 1963 lll v i INVENTOR. SE TH TH oMHs BY .0 www HTTORNEY United States Patent O Fice 3,175,838 SKI BW PRESS Seth Thomas, 65 Walnut St., Thomaston, Conn. Filed May 23, 1963, Ser. No. 282,659 2 Claims. (Cl. 28d-11.37)

This invention relates to ski presses for use in supporting, storing, and transporting a pair of skis arranged in back to back relation.

Modern day skis are provided with concave undersurfaces having a definite curvature or camber, and since skis are necessarily exposed to moisture during use they are liable to considerable deformation and warping.

The present improved ski bow press is intended to replace the unsatisfactory single wooden block formerly placed between the central portions of the skis when arranged back to back for summer storage, as said single block did not maintain the necessary uniform camber of the skis.

Gne object of the present invention is to provide a ski press of the above nature which will prevent objectionable deformation of the skis when they are not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ski press of the above nature which will assure equal camber on both of the skis by maintaining them in the proper curved condition when out of use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ski press of the above nature having one pair of end straps for adiustably attaching a pair of skis to the ski press, and an additional pair of end straps for adjustably securing a pair of ski poles to said press.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable 1n use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, two forms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of the ski press, shown by itself.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same, with parts broken away to illustrate the interior construction.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the same, on a larger scale, taken from the line 3 3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of the central part of the ski press, taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a top View of the ski press as it appears with a pair of skis assembled thereon in back to back relation, and held in adjusted position by a pair of end webbing straps.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of the end portion of a modified form of ski press, having an additional pair of outer webbing straps secured to the end blocks for adjustably holding a pair of ski poles upon the ski press, and illustrating a special form of screws secured to said end blocks, said screws having snap fastener studs to which the fastener sockets on the outer straps are detachably engaged.

The improved ski press of the present invention cornprises a form including a pair of elongated rectangular side members, and a pair of elongated convex oval-shaped top and bottom members, which are secured together, and to a plurality of interior blocks, by screws. The edges of the lblocks are slightly tapered in order to conform to the convex shape of the side sections of the ski press.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference 3,175,838 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numerals 10 and 11 indicate a pair of identical elongated rectangular top and bottom members of the ski press form, which are secured rigidly in curved condition to a pair of elongated convex oval side members 12 and 13, by means of a plurality of intermediate rectangular blocks 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. These blocks are preferably tapered to conform to the convex oval shape of the side members 12 and 13, and the members 10, 11 and 12, 13 are secured to said blocks by means of two rows of side Wood screws 21, and single rows of top and bottom wood screws Z2 respectively, as shown.

in order to secure a pair of skis S upon the sections 10 and 11 of the ski press form in back to back relation, so as to prevent them from warping out of shape and to maintain equal camber of both skis, provision is made of a pair of webbing straps 23, 24 having metal clips 25 and buckles 26 at opposite ends thereof, said webbing straps 23, 2d being secured at their central sections to the end blocks 19, 2li of the ski press form, as by means of wood screws 27.

Provision is also made of a pair of metal clamp Washers 28 which frictionally engage the webbing straps 23, 24.

From FG. 5 it will be noted that the form extends for substantially less than the distance between the two points at which the illustrated skis would contact one another if the form were removed and the skis were moved together. The form does, however, have a length substantially greater than one-half this distance, and it will be particularly noted that at the ends of the form the top and bottom members 1li, 11 are spaced from one another. This allows the form to be used with skis of various different lengths while nevertheless providing contact with a major portion of the length of the skis.

Operation In the operation of the present invention, after the pair of skis S have been placed with their concave bottom surfaces in contact with the convex sections 1t) and 11 of the ski press, they will be adjustably held, by means of the webbing straps 23, 24, tightly upon the ski press to preserve their camber and prevent warping, when not in use.

M odfied form In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the numeral Sil indicates one of a pair of ski webbing straps which are located at the ends of the ski press form, each strap being secured `by a special wood screw 51 to one of the end blocks 2t).

Each special wood screw 51 serves to attach a ski strap 5ft permanently to the ski press form, with the ends of said strap detachably clamped around the pair of skis (not shown). The screw 51 has an intermediate circular flange 52 resting on the ski strap 50, and outside of said flange S2 has an integral snap fastener stud 53 having a screw driver kerf 54.

Provision is also made of a snap fastener socket 55 rigidly secured to the center of an additional webbing strap S6 for holding a pair of ski poles (not shown) upon said ski press outside the skis. The socket 55 on the strap 56 is detachably secured to the stud 53.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes al1 the modifications and embodiments coming Within the scope of the following claims.

1. A deviceV fory storing a pair of skis each of whichA includes a longitudinally curved ruiming surface the major portion of the length of which is concave so that when the two skis arer placed together with the running surfaces thereof facing one another they contact one another at two points spaced apart a'given distance longitudinally of said skis, said device comprising an elongated form having a length substantially less than said given distance and substantially greater than oneahalf said given distance and having two form surfaces located respectively on opposite sides thereof for respectively engaging said concave portion of said running surfaces of said skis, said two form surfaces being of a simple convex curvature throughout the entire length of said form and at either end of said form being spaced a substantial distance from one another, said form comprising opposed top and bottoni members which define said convex form surfaces and each of which consists of a length of sheet material, opposed side members extending between said top and bottom members atthe edges of said stop and bottom members and each consisting of a length of sheet material, said side members conforming in shape to the con- Vex curvature of said top and bottom members and said top and bottom members being arranged so as to overlap said side members, a plurality of blocks spaced longitudinally of said form and located in the space enclosed by said top and bottom and side lmembers and each cxtending between said top and bottom members and between said side Vmembers, and means fastening said top and bottom members and said side members to said blocks.

2. A ski press for a pair of skis each of which includes a longitudinally curved running surface the major portion of the length of which is concave so that when the two skis are placed together with the running surfaces thereof facing one another they contact one another at two points spaced apart' a given distance longitudinally of said skis, said ski press comprising a form having a length substantially less than said given distance and substantially greaterthan one half said given distance and having two convex surfaces located respectively on opposite sides thereof for respectively engaging said concave portions of said running surfaces of said skis, and means at both ends of said form and attached to said form for detachably holding said skis to said form with said concave portion of said ruiming surfaces in engagement with said convex surfaces of said form, said means for detachably holding said skis to said form comprising a pair of adjustable straps secured respectively to the end portions of said form, a second pair of straps located respectively on opposite ends of said form for detachably holding a pair of ski poles to said form, and cooperating snap fastener parts on said form and on said second pair of straps for detachably fastening said second pair of straps to said form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,107,195 2/38 Aubert 2S0-11-37 2,136,965 1l/38 Carlstedt 280-1l-37 2,469,604 5/49 Lynn 280-11-37 FOREIGN PATENTS 805,500 8/38 France. 1,051,859 9/53 France.

430,028 6/26 Germany.

A. HARRY LEVY, Priitczry Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR STORING A PAIR OF SKIS EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES A LONGITUDINALLY CURVED RUNNING SURFACE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF WHICH IS CONCAVE SO THAT WHEN THE TWO SKIS ARE PLACED TOGETHER WITH THE RUNNING SURFACES THEREOF FACING ONE ANOTHER THEY CONTACT ONE ANOTHER AT TWO POINTS SPACED APART A GIVEN DISTANCE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SKIS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FORM HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN SAID GIVEN DISTANCE AND SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN ONE-HALF SAID GIVEN DISTANCE AND HAVING TWO FORM SURFACES LOCATED RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF FOR RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID CONCAVE PORTION OF SAID RUNNING SURFACES OF SAID SKIS, SAID TWO FORM SURFACES BEING OF A SIMPLE CONVEX CURVATURE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID FORM AND AT EITHER END OF SAID FORM BEING SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM ONE ANOTHER, SAID FORM COMPRISING OPPOSED TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS WHICH DEFINE SAID CONVEX FORM SURFACES AND EACH OF WHICH CONSISTS OF A LENGTH OF SHEET MATERIAL, OPPOSED SIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AT THE EDGES OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AND EACH CONSISTING OF A LENGTH OF SHEET MATERIAL, SAID SIDE MEMBERS CONFORMING IN SHAPE TO THE CONVEX CURVATURE OF SADI TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AND SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED SO AS TO OVERLAP SAID SIDE MEMBERS, A PLURALITY OF BLOCKS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID FORM AND LOCATED IN THE SPACE ENCLOSED BY SAID TOP AND BOTTOM AND SIDE MEMBERS AND EACH EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AND BETWEEN SAID SIDE MEMBERS, AND MEANS FASTENING SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AND SAID SIDE MEMBERS TO SAID BLOCKS. 